Lands commission commits sh6b to title government land

________________ The government has allocated sh6b this financial year to identify, survey, title and digitally register all public land in Uganda. The government seeks to protect government property from widespread encroachment, fraud and ownership disputes. The entire programme is expected to cost sh100b. Officials say nearly three-quarters of government-owned land remains untitled, leaving schools, hospitals, roads, forests, wetlands, police stations and other public assets exposed to illegal occupation and competing ownership claims. According to the Uganda Land Commission (ULC), government land accounts for about 23% of Uganda's total land area, but only 26.16% of it has been formally titled, meaning approximately 74% lacks legal documentation. ULC Secretary Andrew Nyumba said the nationwide exercise is expected to be completed within five years, although implementation will be phased because of limited funding. "The programme was initially estimated to cost about sh100b, but only sh6b has been provided in the current financial year," Nyumba confirmed. He explained that the first phase will focus on cities, municipalities and other urban centres, where government land is under the greatest pressure from rapid development and illegal occupation. Nyumba said the exercise is more than a land-titling project. It will establish a comprehensive inventory capturing the location, size, value, current use, legal status, level of development and extent of encroachment on every government-owned property. He said the programme is intended to address the growing number of cases involving fraudulent land titles, illegal occupation and conflicting ownership claims over public land. Nyumba acknowledged that previous efforts had been slowed by inadequate funding, limited public awareness of land laws and resistance from some communities. "Land matters are sensitive," he said, noting that some communities have questioned why the exercise is being undertaken now. He attributed the renewed effort to increased political commitment to safeguard public assets. The state minister for lands, Harriet Ntabazi, said many government institutions occupy land that was acquired decades ago through community donations, compulsory acquisition or administrative allocation before modern land registration systems were introduced.